


Flowers & Scones

by theundeadsiren (rhoen)



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 12:41:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4522407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhoen/pseuds/theundeadsiren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill wouldn’t approve, but that doesn’t mean Rick shouldn’t spend more time with his mum.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flowers & Scones

**Author's Note:**

> For [walkieran](http://walkieran.tumblr.com) who liked the idea of seeing a little more of Rick's relationship with his mum. I hope this is okay (although I'm aware of the fact it's not as good at the others, but hopefully the idea of it is nice). Your tags cut off! I wasn't sure if there was more you wanted to say, but thanks for requesting something, and we should definitely chat again soon <3
> 
> Un-beta'd.

 

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Thank you for respecting my wishes

* * *

 

 

The first time Rick tried to do something nice for his mum – other than give her the mother’s day cards he’d made as a kid in school – it had gotten him into trouble. His dad had been furious about the flowers, and while he’d in part understood and appreciated that Rick was trying to be nice to his mum, his hatred of effeminate gestures had won through and Rick was never going to make that mistake again. He wanted to do something nice though, but everything that came to mind seemed too girly.

Including this. But his dad had never found out, so there was no reason to stop.

It had become a bit of a ritual since that first awkward time Rick had gotten a lift into town from his mum, saying he needed new trainers. He’d then had to admit that he didn’t – he’d bought some last week, and had left them in the box – and that it was just an excuse to get time alone with his mum. Instead of going to the sports shop, he’d guided her to a tearoom he’d seen at the other end of the street – a quaint kind of place Rick supposed his mum might like. She’d liked it about as much as he had, really. Neither of them were used to the setting, and Rick certainly felt awkward being a teenage boy in a goddamn _tearoom_ , but this was for his mum, and she seemed to settle down enough to enjoy her tea and scone after he’d assured her that there wasn’t anything he wanted to talk to her about. It had felt a little forced, though, and Rick hadn’t really known what to say to fill the silence, and staring out the window or at the waitress seemed a bit dull. He jumbled reasoning hadn’t sounded very good to his own ears, but before they finished his mum had lain her hand warmly over his, thanking him all the same. It had been worth it for that.

It had taken them a while to work out the best place to go, and after the first time Rick wondered if his mum even wanted to go again. But they got to spend time together, and his mum was as discerning as he was when rating and commenting on different places. They often they ended up laughing under their breath, and Rick’s mum would tell both of them off for being so rude – while grinning into her tea. Eventually they tried the café at the garden centre. Rick tried not to think how bad it might sound or what his dad would say if he knew they often went there, but there were heavy things on sale – water features and other gargoyles people seemed to like putting in their garden – which could be used as an excuse. He could say, for example, that his mum was thinking about getting some compost and wanted a hand lifting the heavy bags.

Rick’s mum loved flowers. Between working and doing the household chores, she didn’t have much time to tend the garden, and had explained to Rick that the soil wasn’t that good anyway. She seemed happy with the two huge flowerpots Rick helped her get and fill with soil, and when they visited the garden centre she was content to just browse before they went to get something to eat. The food was good and homely, but Rick’s mum always said there was something lacking in the scones. Rick had agreed, and that had led to them both standing in the kitchen a week later, Rick watching as his mum measured out and mixed ingredients together for what turned out to be impossibly good scones.

Rick felt guilty for not being able to spend more time with his mum. He had schoolwork to do, friends he wanted to hang out with, sports to do after school, and his dad wanting to watch something with him now and then. But he managed where he could. And his mum was actually incredibly good at chemistry. To start with, he’d not really known what to talk about, but eventually he’d opened up, and she had too. He’d not known much about what her at all, but once he’d gotten past the initial weirdness of seeing his mum as a person who was once his age, he relaxed into their conversations and was happy listening to the advice she gave him, and came to think of her as a sort of friend. He certainly came to trust her with things he could never tell his dad, and she somehow made chemistry easy. She was certainly more patient and had infinitely more faith in his ability than his teacher did.

Despite knowing that spending time with his mum going out for a cup of tea, browsing garden centres, baking, and studying wasn’t in the slightest bit okay if anyone found out about it, Rick still did it, because it made him feel okay. It made him feel grounded and more at peace with himself, and he didn’t have to pretend. And it made his mum happy. It made the effort to find time to spend with her worthwhile.

Besides, he also got two guard-this-secret-with-your-life recipes, and an A in Chemistry out of it. He then annoyed his teacher by going back to study A level Chemistry and getting another A, much to his and his mum’s delight.


End file.
